Welcome to Texas justice: You might beat the rap, but you won't beat the ride.

Monday, November 05, 2007

Guess who's fighting a juvenile curfew in Waco?

I don't agree with them on everything, but I'm sure with the Eagle Forum on their position opposing juvenile curfews in Waco, just forwarded to me via email:

A citizens group in Waco, Texas, vowed to do everything it can to block plans for a daytime curfew for juveniles. Wacoans Against the Curfew Ordinance has hired legal counsel to assist in its battle and is circulating a petition against the measure. Deborah Korpi, leader of the group and president of the Waco Eagle Forum, said Wacoans Against the Curfew Ordinance would file suit against the city if the measure passes. “Some in our group have legal organizations and have fought curfew issues all across the country,” she said. “They are on call to come to our aid if and when we need them.” The measure would impose a $500 fine per violation on parents whose students under the age of 17 are caught in public places between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m. on regular school days.

Whaddya think about that? It's nice to hear of somebody standing up to oppose overcriminalization and piling criminal penalties on often troubled families.

Ticketing parents for truancy by their children makes little sense, and not just because of the dilemmas faced by home-schooled kids, which is the main reason for Eagle Forum's concern. A rebellious teen who wants to lash out at their parents might see that as a reason for more truancy! Besides, if the parent could control their kid with their say so, they likely wouldn't be truant in the first place! Have these city council members never raised teenagers?! Juvenile laws should support parents, not punish them in the face of futility. Go get 'em, Eagle Forum!

6 comments:

Punishing parents for their kids' offenses is an old canard that has been tried many times over the past century, with little to no success.

These sorts of ordinances have passed before, then been quickly repealed as social disasters or just plain unenforceable.

Curfew laws have a long history dating back to the 19th century. A friend of mine who is researching the subject argues that they were first used in Canada of all places, as an attempt to impose the cultural norms of the small town or village in rapidly growing cities... in other words, a reaction to modernity.

However, their use in the 20th century has usually focused on controlling the children of poor, working-class, immigrant, or minority populations.

These types of laws tend to be knee-jerk reactions to a few isolated incidents and needlessly widen the web of juvenile justice - and should be avoided.

There's such a thing as homeschoolers and not allowing them in public would limit their education a lot. There's also such a thing as age discrimination and it needs to stop. Imagine the outrage if they were trying to stop everyone of a certain race from going outside!

This is despicable. I hope this never passes. Curfews are just another form of discrimination based on age.

curfews,a form of discrimination? BS!!my apartment complex has a curfew that applies to ALL residents.beginning 10:30pm loitering is against the rules.going to and from one's car or to another apartment is okay.but just hanging on the property??? nobody has any business at 1 and 2am hanging around on the complex property and there's good reason for this kind of curfew. the only people that i know that fight any and all curfews are liberal,'don't like authority' people.just like some of the turds who knew of the rules here but still were hanging out at 2am loitering and keeping me awake.eventually they were evicted due to their continued actions.a blanket statement that curfews are discriminatory is a stupid statement indeed.ten to one there ain't one judge in the city that would consider the curfew here out of line or being discriminatory

People have the right to be and go wherever they want so long as they are not trespassing or breaking the law. The only people who are affected by the Curfew is the law abiding people. Noise ordinances is fine, but if my Apartment complex has a 9pm or dark Curfew, and I check my mail when i get home at 10:30, and I get fined...that is a complete attempt to subdue my civil rights. You people want the government to do everything for you. All in the name of "safety" and "Security". Heh you make yourself a prisoner without a barbed wire fence. For-shame.

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